On March 29th, four riders from Locos Cycling flew their team colors high in Tuscaloosa Alabama at the Tour de Tuscaloosa, beginning on Saturday with the Tuscaloosa Criterium. Although the race may not have been on the Locos team calendar, the riders that penciled it in on their own decided to show up and show out. The criterium on Saturday turned out to be a brutal affair as the race took the riders up a 275 meter wall every lap, and was hard enough to sap the spirit out of the legs of even the best.
With the race heating up in the early laps Whit Clifford helped ease the pressure on the team by stepping up and covering many of the potentially dangerous moves. As the race continued Travis Hagner, Rob Giannini, and Chris Scott found themselves in much of the action as well representing Locos at the front. At one point the three above mentioned riders found themselves in a seriously threatening break that made a monstrous attempt at staying off, but eventually found itself back in the chaos of the main field. After some more tough action throughout the race a group of riders found a way to stick themselves off of the front of the peleton with about five laps to go. With no representation in the break Locos needed somebody up in the mix, so Chris made a wholehearted attempt at bridging. Closing a lot of real estate to the break but not the full thousand acres, Chris found himself in a lonely world halfway in between the field and the group he desired to be in. As the race was coming to a close Chris remained out in no man’s land for a respectable 10th place in a selective race where less than half of the competitors that started, finished. Then it was off to recover for the next day’s event.
Sunday called for a tough rolling road race on some great roads in the Tuscaloosa area and was more than eventful. While the race got off to a rapid start Locos had a presence in the moves that counted, which were many. After not too long, Locos’ own Rob Giannini found himself in a four man move off the front that eventually weaseled its way to more than two minutes up the road. Some time after Rob’s group had gained quite the advantage over the peleton, Travis Hagner in his cleverness managed to slip off the front of the main field somewhere between them and Rob with one companion. Once the peleton felt they had enough of the shenanigans that were going on up the road and decided they wanted to be a part of it, some teams assembled themselves at the front and tried to assert themselves by laying down the gauntlet. Giving all that they had, the main bunch of riders managed to pull Travis’ group of two back but got nowhere near Rob. Following a slight hesitation after reeling in Travis the attacks began to fly and some riders trickled off the front. Again, showing adeptness Travis slipped his way into the few riders that were trickling away, but this time Chris was not to be denied any of this action and slid across with one other rider to form a group of seven. Not before long this small chase group was established and this race was to turn topsy turvy almost becoming a new race entirely.
With Rob’s group not losing any time to the peleton it was a different story to the chase group with the chase group containing two of his Locos teammates. The small group was not gaining quickly, but was steadily chopping off the seconds to eventually close the two minute gap completely. As the breakaway and chase group now became just one breakaway group on the last lap, the race again became yet again another race altogether. With now three of their four total riders in the ten man break, the race looked highly favorable for the Grill and Pub team. With some hard attacks and high paced action the four of the riders found themselves off the back of the break group with seven coming to closing kilometers together. Recognizing their dominant position the gents in Celeste got poised for the strike otherwise know as the leadout. From the one kilometer sign Travis kicked it into high gear and rapidly steam rolled through 600 meters. At the 400 meter mark Chris jumped carrying Rob to 200 meters letting him take over from there for the victory after setting up the flawless moose train. With two minutes plus to celebrate before the field crossed the line the Locos riders began congratulating one another on their win accompanied by 5th and 7th places. The road race turned out to be the perfect denouement to the weekend that was not even on the calendar.
With the race heating up in the early laps Whit Clifford helped ease the pressure on the team by stepping up and covering many of the potentially dangerous moves. As the race continued Travis Hagner, Rob Giannini, and Chris Scott found themselves in much of the action as well representing Locos at the front. At one point the three above mentioned riders found themselves in a seriously threatening break that made a monstrous attempt at staying off, but eventually found itself back in the chaos of the main field. After some more tough action throughout the race a group of riders found a way to stick themselves off of the front of the peleton with about five laps to go. With no representation in the break Locos needed somebody up in the mix, so Chris made a wholehearted attempt at bridging. Closing a lot of real estate to the break but not the full thousand acres, Chris found himself in a lonely world halfway in between the field and the group he desired to be in. As the race was coming to a close Chris remained out in no man’s land for a respectable 10th place in a selective race where less than half of the competitors that started, finished. Then it was off to recover for the next day’s event.
Sunday called for a tough rolling road race on some great roads in the Tuscaloosa area and was more than eventful. While the race got off to a rapid start Locos had a presence in the moves that counted, which were many. After not too long, Locos’ own Rob Giannini found himself in a four man move off the front that eventually weaseled its way to more than two minutes up the road. Some time after Rob’s group had gained quite the advantage over the peleton, Travis Hagner in his cleverness managed to slip off the front of the main field somewhere between them and Rob with one companion. Once the peleton felt they had enough of the shenanigans that were going on up the road and decided they wanted to be a part of it, some teams assembled themselves at the front and tried to assert themselves by laying down the gauntlet. Giving all that they had, the main bunch of riders managed to pull Travis’ group of two back but got nowhere near Rob. Following a slight hesitation after reeling in Travis the attacks began to fly and some riders trickled off the front. Again, showing adeptness Travis slipped his way into the few riders that were trickling away, but this time Chris was not to be denied any of this action and slid across with one other rider to form a group of seven. Not before long this small chase group was established and this race was to turn topsy turvy almost becoming a new race entirely.
With Rob’s group not losing any time to the peleton it was a different story to the chase group with the chase group containing two of his Locos teammates. The small group was not gaining quickly, but was steadily chopping off the seconds to eventually close the two minute gap completely. As the breakaway and chase group now became just one breakaway group on the last lap, the race again became yet again another race altogether. With now three of their four total riders in the ten man break, the race looked highly favorable for the Grill and Pub team. With some hard attacks and high paced action the four of the riders found themselves off the back of the break group with seven coming to closing kilometers together. Recognizing their dominant position the gents in Celeste got poised for the strike otherwise know as the leadout. From the one kilometer sign Travis kicked it into high gear and rapidly steam rolled through 600 meters. At the 400 meter mark Chris jumped carrying Rob to 200 meters letting him take over from there for the victory after setting up the flawless moose train. With two minutes plus to celebrate before the field crossed the line the Locos riders began congratulating one another on their win accompanied by 5th and 7th places. The road race turned out to be the perfect denouement to the weekend that was not even on the calendar.
